Monday, February 25, 2013

Tour Stop - Purpose of Review Copies. And the Neumarian Uprising

Tour stop today - I am visiting Carol Kilgore at The Tiki Hut. Want to know the purpose of review copies and how they work? Then visit Carol today.


In the meantime, there’s a rebellion going on…

Neumarian Uprising

We need your help! Thanks to our spy, Ciara Knight, we are able to communicate with you today via blogs, Facebook, Twitter and other social media.

The Neumarian uprising has begun. We are fighting for freedom and equality for all, but we need your help. Ciara informed us that you might want to know more about the uprising and why we ask you to risk your lives for our cause. To answer these questions I’ve agreed to let Ciara tell my sister’s, Raeth’s, story about her captivity. It will be free for you on a site called Amazon until March 1, 2013.

Our spies have told us this will help spread the word and find more recruits for our rebellion against the tyrannical queen. You can help by simply downloading a free copy of Weighted, a prequel to the Neumarian Chronicles. If you are intrigued and wish to follow our uprising, Escapement, book I of The Neumarian Chronicles, will be available for only $2.99 until March 1, 2013.

Escapement is told by Princess Semara. Don’t hold the fact Semara is a princess against her like I did, there is more to her than you can possibly imagine.

Here is a brief explanation of her telling of our uprising:
Ten years after the great war of 2185 the queen’s reign is threatened by uprisings and fear. In celebration of my sixteenth birthday it is my duty as princess to sacrifice a slave to be initiated into the ruling council, solidifying my mother’s empire. When my own erratic powers surface I’m captured and tried for treason. Slaves hate me, my mother wants me executed, and my only chance of survival rests in the hands of a young man, Ryder Arteres, whose sister I sentenced to death.

What people are saying about Escapement:

“A heady mix of action adventure and steampunk -- leavened with a dash of romance -- ESCAPEMENT offers up its fair share of thrills, horrors and heart-pounding moments. A strong start to a captivating new series.”
-- Jana Oliver, author of The Demon Trapper's Daughter

“A riveting tale of justice, mercy, honor and love. Take a deep breath and hold on, because you'll be turning the pages of Escapement quickly. Three unlikely comrades, Princess Semara, Ryder, and his sister Raeth, embark on a journey that will alter their lives forever. The beautiful love story nestled into these action-packed scenes will make you sigh and remember why you love to love. After reading the prequel Weighted, I knew this story would be amazing, and it was. Ciara Knight truly has a gift for creating awesome worlds and characters you won't forget.”
--Lindi Peterson--Award winning author of Summer's Song.

“Betrayal, secrets, and a rebellion send readers on a grand adventure, caught in the plight to discover Semara’s gifts and purpose.”
--Alex J Cavanaugh, author of Amazon best sellers CassaStar and CassaFire

“The most unmissable series ever! I couldn't stop reading, the action and romance too breathtaking to break the spell!”
--ARC review by Sudah on Goodreads

"A courageous heart-stopping journey by young people to save their kind."
--Hildie McQueen, bestselling author of Where the Four Winds Collide

If you’d like to see a peak into our world, please view this short clip on YouTube.

If you are now ready to join our fight, please add Escapement to your TBR shelf on Goodreads here.. Shout out on all your social media sites, and tell everyone you know to stand up and fight.

Be Bold.
Be Brave.
Be Free.
In the name of the rebellion,
Ryder Arteres

Rafflecopter giveaway:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Escapement can be found at Amazon.


$14.95 Trade paperback ISBN 978-0-9827139-5-2
$4.99 Ebook ISBN 978-0-9827139-9-0

Purchase at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Amazon Kindle, Amazon Kindle UK, and Powell’s.

Friday, February 22, 2013

Publishing and Promoting Tips from C.M. Brown and Alex J. Cavanaugh's CassaStorm

Today tour stop is a tour swap! I am visiting C.M. Brown, talking about the timing of your book release, and she’s here with some publishing and promoting tips.

Hi Dianne, and thank you for hosting me today on your site to discuss publishing and promoting tips.

Well, to begin with I decided to publish my books the indie way after participating in a seminar at my local council library. The Australian government funded a local author/artist Judy Barrass. (to encourage new writers to publish their work using available options on the internet)

I researched into the information I left with, excited and determined and eventually decided to use Smashwords as my publishing platform. I still use their site, but also download my books at Amazon.

To create hard copies, I decided to use LULU, they have connections to Amazon and I found that downloading to all of the above platforms was quite easy, but made sure I followed the instructions provided at each site precisely.

But, I would suggest new authors read the guidelines of these sites and think about what suits them best and before deciding to publish ensure that you have given your work to a few critique partners to ensure your product is the best it can be. It is extremely important to try a few different beta readers and CP’s to find your right matches. Follow the advice you are given without taking offence and decide how their suggestions would improve your overall story.

Once you have tightened up your working story you must ensure the formatting of your product is spot on. It is essential that your formatting is perfect. You do need to spend the time and follow the ‘How to Publish’ guides at each site. Be sure that images are saved in the right file format and they are of an appropriate file size.

After your work is accepted to the platforms of your choice, it is time to market your product!

This can be the hard part.

When I published my first book I did not have a blogging account nor had I made any connections with anyone on the internet involved in the literary world. I decided to open a blogging account and luckily worked out how to blog.

I found my way around more by perseverance and luck than anything else.

By joining the various blog hops and connecting with other authors, I learned that I needed to give as well as take, as in all things in life. By giving others the opportunity to spotlight their work, I found friends and made connections with other authors.

By spending a lot of time reading other authors posts, I learned from them how to market my books.

I created an author account with Goodreads and joined one of their groups - Never Too Old For Young Adult, which luckily for me is a very motivated group with strongly active moderators heading it. I have recently offered a number of my books for free in a Read for Review offer, which the moderators of the group process and request decisions are finalised sorting out the genuine participants.

One of my followers left me a comment on one of my posts over the Christmas break, thanking me for letting them know about Goodreads. I was touched, as I know how much I appreciated the helpful information I found on other peoples blogs, when I first began.

Joining a group set up for blog tours is also important, as it gives you the opportunity to market your work on other blogging sites. There are many sites to choose from. I am personally using The Blog Tour Exchange, set up by Sharon Bayliss, who is connected to Curiosity Quills (A blog site set up as a publishing house, with loads of useful information for new authors). The Blog Tour Exchange allows an author to sign up for a blog tour in exchange for hosting other authors blog tours on your blog. Badges and information are posted on the site, helping to publicize your blog tour.

Although it is important to have a vital network of authors to be connected to, it is also important to connect with potential readers. During my time blogging, I have found that a lot of authors tend to become involved in certain circles and forget to venture out of these groups to connect with the reading community. Try to find sites on the internet where readers lurk. Become involved in their blog hops and give away free copies of your work and ensure to visit them occasionally to strengthen your network.

There are many more tips I have found during my short time self-publishing and marketing my work, but I think I have covered the most important ones in this post. I would like to thank you again, L. Dianne for having me here today, it has been fun to share my hard learned tips with your readers!

Carolyn

He Came For Mine, Book Two in 'The Protector Series'

Fending for herself for almost two years, Jazz worries she will never see Sebastian again.
A new man enters her life, but he holds a secret.

Will Jazz trust him?

~~~~

Sebastian discovers an ancient ritual which must be performed on the Chosen One's son before his first birthday, or he will die.

He returns to Earth to find Jazz in the arms of another man.

A man he knows very well.
A man he does not trust....

Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Sony, Smashwords, and Goodreads.

Thank you, Carolyn.


I’m also doing a cover reveal for Alex’s next book...

CassaStorm by Alex J. Cavanaugh

A storm gathers across the galaxy…

Byron thought he’d put the days of battle behind him. Commanding the Cassan base on Tgren, his only struggles are occasional rogue pirate raids and endless government bureaucracies. As a galaxy-wide war encroaches upon the desert planet, Byron’s ideal life is threatened and he’s caught between the Tgrens and the Cassans.

After enemy ships attack the desert planet, Byron discovers another battle within his own family. The declaration of war between all ten races triggers nightmares in his son, shaking Bassan to the core and threatening to destroy the boy’s mind.

Meanwhile the ancient alien ship is transmitting a code that might signal the end of all life in the galaxy. And the mysterious probe that almost destroyed Tgren twenty years ago could be on its way back. As his world begins to crumble, Byron suspects a connection. The storm is about to break, and Byron is caught in the middle…

Release date: September 17, 2013
Science Fiction - Space Opera/Adventure
Print ISBN 9781939844002
E-book ISBN 9781939844019


Monday, February 18, 2013

Interview with Karen Lange and a "Memorable" Birthday Weekend

Today’s tour stop is with Karen Lange. She had some interesting questions for me and is posting a review of How to Publish and Promote Your Book Now!

For those helping me during the A to Z Challenge - Laura Marcella, Sia McKye, Golden Eagle, Clarissa Draper, Jo Wake, Tyrean Martinson, and Gwen Gardner - you now have a badge, thanks to Retro-Zombie.

This past weekend I was mostly absent from the Internet, but only part of it was intentional. My husband treated me to a night out of town, including shopping, dinner, and a comedy club Friday night for my birthday, which was  Saturday. We woke up Saturday morning to snow and decided to head home. Good thing we did - shortly after getting home, we headed to the emergency room. My husband was having chest pains and shortness of breath. He went through many heart tests and had to spend the night. (It ended up having NOTHING to do with his heart and he’s fine!) He felt so bad about it happening on my birthday, but if nothing else, he made it memorable. And as long as he’s healthy and home, I don’t care.

Does anyone want a slice of white cake with white frosting now?


$14.95 Trade paperback ISBN 978-0-9827139-5-2
$4.99 Ebook ISBN 978-0-9827139-9-0

Purchase at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Amazon Kindle, Amazon Kindle UK, and Powell’s.

Friday, February 15, 2013

How to Pitch to the Media, Industry News, and Friday's Inspirational Photo

For today’s tour stop, I am at Jennifer Shirk’s blog, talking about how to pitch to the media.

The New York Times says Goodreads is a fast-growing site because:
“The theory behind Goodreads and its two main — albeit much smaller — competitors, Shelfari and LibraryThing, is that people will put more faith in book recommendations from a social network they build themselves.”
And did you know Amazon owns Shelfari and a portion of Library Thing?

From the Washington Post - Would You Pay to Browse in a Real Bookstore?
My answer - no.

Thanks to those who volunteered to help me during the A to Z Challenge - Laura Marcella, Sia McKye, Golden Eagle, Clarissa Draper, Jo Wake, Tyrean Martinson, and Gwen Gardner. I think I will survive now!


$14.95 Trade paperback ISBN 978-0-9827139-5-2
$4.99 Ebook ISBN 978-0-9827139-9-0

Purchase at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Amazon Kindle, Amazon Kindle UK, and Powell’s.



And since Thursday was Valentine's Day, I leave you with a budding flower!

Monday, February 11, 2013

Tour Stop - Book Returns, Announcement Winners, Tyrean Martinson's New Book, and Need Help During the A to Z Challenge

Today’s tour stop is with Jemi Fraser! I’m discussing the bane of the publishing industry - book returns - the changes over the years and how they affect authors and publishers. If you’ve never understood how book returns work, I invite you to visit Jemi’s site today.

Thank you so much to those who announced my book last week. The winners of a free e-book of How to Publish and Promote Your Book Now are:

Susan Gourley
Laura Eno
Magical Mystical Mimi

Congrats, ladies!


Today is also a special day for one of my tour hosts as she releases her very first book!

Champion in the Darkness by Tyrean Martinson

Clara is younger than most trainees, but she is ready to hold a Sword Master's blade. While visions and ancient prophecies stand in her way, they also offer a destiny unlike any other. Clara is aided by a haunted mentor, Stelia, whose knowledge of their enemy Kalidess is both a bane and a blessing. As evil threatens their land, Clara and Stelia must find the strength to overcome the darkness.

Champion in the Darkness is YA Christian Fantasy, and is the first book in the Champion Trilogy.

Tyrean Martinson lives and writes in the Northwest, encouraged by her loving husband and daughters, and reminded to exercise by her dogs and cat. Champion in the Darkness is the first book in the Champion Trilogy, and she has previously published short stories and poetry.


Finally, the hosts of the A to Z Challenge are looking for minions! These will be volunteer helpers that will check on a batch of twenty or so participants during the A to Z Challenge.

I believe I have three helpers already (Laura Marcella, Sia McKye, and Golden Eagle ) but I need three more people to help during the month of April.

If you can help me, please let me know in the comments. Thank you!


$14.95 Trade paperback ISBN 978-0-9827139-5-2
$4.99 Ebook ISBN 978-0-9827139-9-0

Purchase at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Amazon Kindle, Amazon Kindle UK, and Powell’s.

Friday, February 08, 2013

Today’s Tour Stop and Industry News

Today I am visiting the Ninja Captain, Alex J. Cavanaugh, and highlighting some writer and author mistakes.

Meanwhile, some interesting industry news this week:

Amazon announces “Amazon Coins.”
From Wired.co.uk -
"Scheduled to launch in May for US customers, the currency is being billed with an exchange rate of one Amazon Coin to one cent, although Paul Ryder, Vice President of Apps and Games for Amazon is also promising that the company will give customers tens of millions of dollars' worth of free Amazon Coins to promote the service. The online retailer said the currency will allow customers to buy apps, games and in-app items available on the Kindle Fire, succinctly summing up the technology as "an easy way to spend money"

Unless forbidden by Congress, the US Postal Service will end Saturday delivery in August. Read the full article at The Washington Post

ITunes plans to launch Breakout Books to highlight self-published titles.
From Paid Content -
"Amazon intensely promotes self-published Kindle books, and now Apple is taking steps toward doing the same thing. The company has launched a new section of the iBookstore, “Breakout Books,” a “hand-picked collection of books from emerging talents…independently published to the iBookstore.” New books will be added “as they begin taking off.” 

Does any of that surprise you?


$14.95 Trade paperback ISBN 978-0-9827139-5-2
$4.99 Ebook ISBN 978-0-9827139-9-0

Purchase at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Amazon Kindle, Amazon Kindle UK, and Powell’s.

Thursday, February 07, 2013

Next Tour Stop and Giveaway Winner

I’d like to thank everyone who stopped by here on Wednesday during The Insecure Writer’s Support Group. I was away for most of the day and promise to visit everyone who stopped by yesterday. Thanks also to those who’ve posted about my book this week.

Today I am visiting Tyrean Martinson and talking about how writing articles is important for book promoting.

And, the winner of the autographed book and swag… Jay Noel! Congrats, Joel!


I’d also like to share an image from our recent ice storm:

How’s it feel to be frozen?



$14.95 Trade paperback ISBN 978-0-9827139-5-2
$4.99 Ebook ISBN 978-0-9827139-9-0

Purchase at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Amazon Kindle, Amazon Kindle UK, and Powell’s.

Wednesday, February 06, 2013

The Insecure Writer's Support Group and Today's Book Tour Stop

It’s time for another edition of The Insecure Writer’s Support Group, hosted by Ninja Captain, Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Yesterday, my 7th book was released.

After teaching seminars on publishing and promoting for almost six years, I finally got my act together and put them into book form, packed with a ton more information.

Thanks to all who sent out messages, posted about my book, and purchased it yesterday.

It’s unnerving to throw a book on that subject out there, as so many good ones already exist. (Trust me, I’ve read all of them.)

But each one taught me something new. Often many somethings. Because no one person knows everything about this business.

And while there are many books on publishing and even more on marketing, very few books feature both.

In short, I’ve decided not to worry. I created the best book I could, both filled with information and yet easy to follow.

And I did it to help other writers and authors avoid the pitfalls and mistakes.

So read, learn, and follow your dream!

And today’s tour stop is at Stina Lindenblatt’s blog with her review of my book. 

Hopefully I shouldn’t have added THAT to my insecurity list today!


$14.95 Trade paperback ISBN 978-0-9827139-5-2
$4.99 Ebook ISBN 978-0-9827139-9-0

Purchase at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Amazon Kindle, Amazon Kindle UK, and Powell’s.

Tuesday, February 05, 2013

Available Today - How to Publish and Promote Your Book Now!

Thank you to everyone who’s supported me and supported my books, those who’ve attended my seminars over the years, and my husband for prodding me for years to write this book!

No tour stop today - (Yesterday I visited Elizabeth Craig to discuss finding a need and a niche with our writing) - but anyone who leaves a comment in next 24 hours will be entered to win a free autographed copy and some cool bookmarks and swag! Winner will be announced Thursday morning.

I’m happy to announce the publication of my 7th book:


HOW TO PUBLISH AND PROMOTE YOUR BOOK NOW!
By L. Diane Wolfe

Publishing and promoting made simple!

Have you always dreamed of publishing a book but didn’t know where to begin? This book walks you through the steps of identifying markets, budgeting, building an online presence, and generating publicity. Get the whole story on:

• Traditional publishing
• Self-publishing
• Print and e-book setup, formatting, and distribution
• Finding your target audience
• Generating reviews and media interest
• Networking and developing an online presence
• Promotional materials and appearances

Uncover your ideal publishing path and numerous marketing options before you begin. Writing is your dream. Give it the best chance for success!

$14.95 Trade paperback ISBN 978-0-9827139-5-2
$4.99 Ebook ISBN 978-0-9827139-9-0
Publishing/Marketing, 210 pages, Dancing Lemur Press LLC

Purchase at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Amazon Kindle, Amazon Kindle UK, and Powell’s.

“She gives an unbiased take on the advantages and disadvantages of traditional publishing and self-publishing and publishing paths that combine the two… It's the perfect book for those who want an overview to begin the decision-making process.”
- Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning series of how-to books for writers

“A must-read for writers planning on self-publishing or any writer who wants the ultimate how-to on promoting. Tons of links, advice, and how-to, whether you're going for print or e-publication.”
- Helen Ginger, author of Angel Sometimes


May it help you on your journey!

Leave a comment to win a free autographed copy and cool swag!

Monday, February 04, 2013

Tour Stop One - Filling a Need & Finding a Niche

Today my tour kicks off at Mystery Writing is Murder where I discuss filling a need and finding one’s niche.

I’ve actually had the pleasure of meeting author Elizabeth Spann Craig in person. We live at opposite ends of the state, but we finally got to meet last year at a book festival in between. Elizabeth is so successful and professional, and despite interacting with her online for several years, I had no idea what to expect. And you know what? Elizabeth is just FUN! It’s probably a good thing we live four hours apart as I could see us the two of us getting into trouble.

And not only is tomorrow the release day for How to Publish and Promote Your Book Now - Elizabeth’s next book in her Southern Quilting Mystery series comes out, Knot What it Seems. Congrats, Elizabeth! Hope we both have a good day tomorrow.

Remember to come back here tomorrow for your chance to win an autographed copy of my new book and some cool swag.

Friday, February 01, 2013

The Big Day Approaches!

Right now I am frantically preparing for the launch of my seventh book next week. My husband calls it “spaz mode.” (Add panic to my hyper-spunky-type A personality and yes, you get spaz mode.) However, he has taken over the household duties so I can get everything done. I think he might be avoiding me, too.

And if you missed the opening of the sign up list for the A to Z Challenge, it’s this POST.

The next few days I will be focused on book stuff (which includes formatting two books for clients - not sure why I felt the need to take on even more) but I will be back full force Monday morning when my blog tour kicks off:

Feb 4 - Guest post on filling a need and find one’s niche at Mystery Writing is Murder
Feb 5 - Release day! Those who comment will be entered to win an autographed copy of my book plus some swag
Feb 6 - First Wed. of the month, so I’m posting here for The Insecure Writer’s Support Group and my tour stop will be a review with Stina Lindenblatt
Feb 7 - Guest post on writing articles at Tyrean’s Writing Spotv Feb 8 - Guest post on author mistakes with Alex J. Cavavaugh
Feb 11 - Guest post on book returns at Just Jemi
Feb 15 - Guest post on how to pitch to the media with Jennifer Shirk
Feb 18 - Interview and review at Write Now
Feb 22 - Guest post on the timing of one’s book release with C.M. Brown - and she will be doing a guest post here
Feb 25 - Guest post on review copies and free books at Under the Tiki Hut
Mar 7 - Guest post on the publicity window with Patricia Stoltey
Mar 13 - Guest spot with Jessica Bell

I’m also giving away three e-book copies to those who post about my book any time between February 5th and 8th. If you haven’t signed up but would like to, fill out the form below.

Thank you! Now I’m off to spaz some more. (And I just realized I went over 700 followers this week.)